A beverage dispensing apparatus including a cabinet for retaining a beverage product and from which the beverage product is controllably dispensed. In particular, the disclosure relates to improvements in structures of such apparatus to make cooling more efficient and maintain more constant product temperatures. These improvements are achieved while still maintaining minimal equipment footprint, maintaining ease of installing and removing the beverage containers, and accommodating a variety of types of products and types of product containers.
By way of background, some beverage products, such as juice, dairy-based beverages, and other beverage food concentrates are retained in a chilled condition. Such beverage products are retained in a product cabinet of a beverage dispensing apparatus which is cooled for convenient storage and controlled on demand dispensing. Cooling may provided using a variety of techniques including removing heat by way of air conditioning, ice banks, or other cooling systems. Regardless of the cooling techniques or systems used, the temperature of the product retained in the cabinet should be maintained in a generally consistent reduced temperature. This may be desirable to at least maintain favorable characteristics of the product. For example, product life of the beverage product may be maintained through cooling, flavor characteristics might be maintained, as well as color characteristics.
An example of a beverage product that might be retained in a cooling cabinet of a beverage dispensing apparatus or beverage dispenser is an orange juice concentrate. Orange juice is provided to the beverage dispenser in a concentrated form. In other words, the concentrated orange juice beverage product is packaged, retained in a product container and stored in a beverage dispensing apparatus for on demand controlled mixed with water when dispensed to reconstitute a juice beverage. Beverage concentrates help to at least reduce the cost of shipping product by reducing the proportion of water bulk and weight in the product and allowing the water to be added to the concentrate on site when dispensing to produce a reconstituted beverage.
In order to help maintain desirable characteristics, the concentrate is packaged in sealed containers such as plastic containers referred to as “caddies” or bag-in-box (BIB) containers. A product stored in a more bag-like container may also be used. Generally, such bag-like containers can be transferred to a caddie for use in beverage dispensing apparatus. The containers generally retain the concentrate in a sealed condition until it is placed in the juice cabinet and connected to a water line for controlled dispensing and mixing. Similarly, the BIB packaging contains the juice concentrate in a sealed container. BIB packaging may include a cardboard box or other container providing some degree of structural support for the flexible plastic bag retained in the box. Both the caddie and the BIB packaging or containers include fitments or connectors which can be connected to a dispensing nozzle, water source, and equipment used to dispense and mix the concentrate.
Such beverage product concentrates need to be maintained at a consistent temperature based on food product sales requirements. The containers, when placed in the cabinet cavity may swell, bow, or flex outward. Since several containers may be placed in the same cabinet the outermost containers, those placed along the inside wall surfaces of the cabinet, tend to contact the inside walls of the cabinet. This provides a relatively large potential contact area which can have a potentially negative effect on the product temperature. Contact between the container wall and the inside wall of the cabinet prevents airflow around the container. Additionally, the contact between the container wall and the inside wall of the cabinet provides a potentially, relatively large contact area permitting heat transfer between the wall and the product through the container wall. While insulation is provided in the cabinet walls, a significant temperature difference may occur between the product container in an exterior position of a group of containers and interiorly positioned containers. The temperature differential may be of several degrees which could be undesirable for maintaining product characteristics.
This background information is provided to provide some information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present disclosure. No admission is intended, nor should such admission be inferred or construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention. Other aims, objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the disclosure that are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner. Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.